Australian Kim Oelrichs couldn’t believe how bad the coffee was in Hong Kong when she arrived, and set about teaching baristas how to make the perfect cup. Now she has her own coffee supply company

Starbucks opened its first two outlets in Hong Kong in 2000 – one at Exchange Square in Central and another on Hysan Avenue in Causeway Bay. The move was part of the Seattle-based company’s push into Asia after opening a location in Tokyo in 1996, as it simultaneously opened shops in Seoul and Shanghai.

Although I realised from a tutor of barista course that the global coffee industry has boomed in the past 20 years, I thought the Starbucks have entered into the HK market with similar years like Pacific coffee, but I was wrong, obviously.

the art of making the perfect cup, from steaming the milk in just the right way and how to pour the coffee, to making sure the crema (the oily foam at the top of a good espresso, which she says is the most important ingredient) is just perfect.

After I have read the article, I found that I share similar philosophy with Kim. Both of us are mastering the art of the perfect blend of coffee. However, my initial training do not start from overseas in Europe, where coffee has been a part of local culture for centuries. I’m just an amateur took a course certificated by C&G.